Top positive review

For years I refused to move from PC to Apple. Tried it at a friends and hated it. Then, all of a sudden my PC laptop became obsolete, well I was running XP Professional, so this may not be a fair comparison, but it's the only comparison I can make.

After many smart people advised Apple, I figured that solid state and nearly free of viruses should be important (I actually needed this one for work). So I got myself an Apple notebook. Took just a few days to get used to the new OS, and now I can tell you this is the wisest decision computer wise that I'v ever done: It starts in seconds and needs no time to stabilize itself; it's quicker than my top of the line PC by light years, it is extremely friendly and ergonomically near perfect. The PC mouse that used to be the command center, which I swore never to let go, has been recycled and long gone: Apple's touch pad is eons ahead of any mouse you can throw at. Not only is Apple in another dimension, it is also a pleasure to work with. At times it seems like it guesses what I want to do.

Best advice I can give you if you switch to Apple is to spend a few hours with someone already familiar with Apple after (or before) you get yours, learn all key stroke shortcuts (which aren't that many), and smile all the way while using this computer.

As for the computer itself the screen colors and sharpness are outstanding (retina display), best ever seen; hard disc crashing (not that ever happened to me) a thing of the past, virus and virus protection a thing of the past, the frustrating time needed for Windows from switching it on to the moment it is ready to work: A thing of the past.

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For years I refused to move from PC to Apple. Tried it at a friends and hated it. Then, all of a sudden my PC laptop became obsolete, well I was running XP Professional, so this may not be a fair comparison, but it's the only comparison I can make.

After many smart people advised Apple, I figured that solid state and nearly free of viruses should be important (I actually needed this one for work). So I got myself an Apple notebook. Took just a few days to get used to the new OS, and now I can tell you this is the wisest decision computer wise that I'v ever done: It starts in seconds and needs no time to stabilize itself; it's quicker than my top of the line PC by light years, it is extremely friendly and ergonomically near perfect. The PC mouse that used to be the command center, which I swore never to let go, has been recycled and long gone: Apple's touch pad is eons ahead of any mouse you can throw at. Not only is Apple in another dimension, it is also a pleasure to work with. At times it seems like it guesses what I want to do.

Best advice I can give you if you switch to Apple is to spend a few hours with someone already familiar with Apple after (or before) you get yours, learn all key stroke shortcuts (which aren't that many), and smile all the way while using this computer.

As for the computer itself the screen colors and sharpness are outstanding (retina display), best ever seen; hard disc crashing (not that ever happened to me) a thing of the past, virus and virus protection a thing of the past, the frustrating time needed for Windows from switching it on to the moment it is ready to work: A thing of the past.

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At this price, you expect to get a good product. And that's pretty much what this is.

The ease of use, the features, and capabilities of the OS are all there, and the performance isn't bad.

My complaints have to do with the physical design. The SD card slot is shallow, so standard-sized cards won't fit flush. They may think that if they make it easy to keep a card in the slot, people may use it for storage expansion rather than buying a whole new MacBook. Also, there are only two USB ports, one per side. I'd like to have had more.

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I upgraded to this from a 2012 Macbook Air, and I am incredibly happy with it. While I am not necessarily a fan of Apple products in general (I use an Android Phone and Tablet, and a Windows PC and Media Center), I think that they really shine when it comes to laptops. They are small, portable, durable, and easy to use.

PROSThe higher resolution screen is incredibly good looking. I am loving the back-lit keys far more than I thought I would. I continue to love the fantastic Apple trackpad and incredibly easy to use multiple desktops.

CONSThe difference in weight between this and my old MBA is more noticeable than I thought it would be. I'm not super happy with the new mag connector for the power... it seems to come out far too easily.

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This is my first Macbook and I starting to loving it. Works very fine, very fast, and the graphic resolution is amazing. The only thing to complain is the memory storage (128GB) I hope that this will be enough for me. I'm a little worried about the programs to install because for storage I use an external disk that is more efficient if you like to go with some of your stuff with you.

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Research Mavericks. Waking from Sleep and connecting to your Wifi is a known issue with plenty of users and known at Apple. NO KNOWN FIX YET. There are all kinds of remedies on the internet. Some are temporary and some just don't work. My real solution if I'm going to keep a Mac is to get one run I g Mountain Lion and upgrade once this glitch is fixed by Apple (I read one response in Apple forums that said this has been a known problem to Apple for almost 6 months, there had been 3 updates and the issue still exists)

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A little about myself:I am a college senior and a very techie geek. I've went through ALOT of laptops and other electronics. I've used this guy for about a week now. It's been a very positive experience.

PROS:

1. Battery life. I took this guy to my 8 hour workplace, and after the entire day of light use, it STILL had around 40% left. The previous MacBooks usually would be around 5%.

2. Screen. Absolutely stunning. Less glare, more pixels. The stuff on the screen looks painted on. You may have experience the Retina display on an iPhone, but it's a different experience on a bigger screen.

3. Speed. i5 + SSD is no joke. It'll zip through everyday tasks like a champ.

4. Build quality. One of the best built laptops ever made, and I expect no less from Apple. I prefer this retina's build quality over the older macbook pros and airs because it doesn't make ANY sound. The other older models seems to have a slight creak, this one doesn't. They also made it slimmer and lighter than the 2012 retina. Also love the thinner bezels.

5. GPU. The integrated Iris 5100 graphics card is surprisingly powerful. It has a whole 1GB of VRAM. Still can't run the latest games with respectable FPS and texture settings, but it can handle more than an integrated graphics card should.

6. Trackpad. This is the #1 reason I prefer any Macbook made after 2009 over Windows laptops. The trackpad is just absolutely amazing. Even after all these years, I have not had one Windows laptop that can match the Mac's trackpad.

CONS:

1. Speakers. I wish Apple would improve the speakers on the 13" MacBooks, but then it might get even more expensive. Speakers just don't sound nice at all, but then again it is a very thin 13" laptop.

2. I feel like they should've added more USB ports instead of having 2 Thunderbolt ports.

CONCLUSION:

With the price drop, it's much more competitive. The price was the reason I didn't get the 2012 models, simply way overpriced. The new prices made me bite. If you are looking for a secondary computer to your main desktop, BUY THIS ONE. I prefer this macbook retina over the Air any day. With only a couple hundred more, you get a better screen, faster processor, better GPU, and better build quality (Thinner bezels). The Air does have more battery life but who really needs 13 hours of battery life?

I decided to sell mine because this is my ONLY computer. In the end, I overestimated how much I could store in the 128gb SSD. In this day and age, 128gb SSD is just too small if you're planning on using it as your main machine. So like I said, buy this if it's your SECONDARY machine. If it's your primary machine I would say go with a bigger hard drive.

All in all, I loved my time with it, but had to let it go because of the limited storage. I ended up getting an older model Macbook Pro with the traditional HDD, and immediately I disliked the screen that I once loved. Once you go Retina you do not go back! The best laptop I've ever had the pleasure of using.

EDIT:

Another con I found for Macs in general: External mouse in Mac OS feels weird. I'm used to gaming on Windows, and gaming on Mac just feels terrible, mostly because Macs uses a higher mouse acceleration setting...Probably the same reason why the trackpad feels so nice. Installing Windows in bootcamp is a must for gamers.

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Got a great deal as a newer model came out. If this machine is still $200 less then do it! That minor bump isn't even noticeable. Don't forget to add to your account on iTunes.com. May help later with any wrty issues! Overall my first mac and i aint going back!

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First off, I wanted to note that there is now a more recent version available with a faster processor available. I got this in the summer and just now sat down to write a review.

I have been through probably 5 laptops in my lifetime. Some had battery issues, some had screen issues and all had fan noise issues. This is the first laptop I have owned without any of these. It is also my first macbook - all my other laptops have been windows based.

The battery life on this laptop is amazing. I can watch three movies before the battery dies. When it needs charging once a week it takes about an hour to fully charge. This laptop is absolutely silent. Unless you are running a game, the fan isn't even on. My only complaints are OS based. Some of which are fixed in the newest update. I haven't updated because I hate the new look. I bought a laptop, not a tablet or a phone. I expect it to look clean and can sacrifice some CPU/APU processes to make it look nice. I don't understand why windows 8.1 and OSX are trying to make the interface look like a tablet.

At the time of purchase, this was honestly the best value. Awesome battery life, high resolution screen, the fastest SSDs on the market and instantaneous boots are what you can expect from the latest MacBook Pros. If I were to rethink my purchase, I would have went with the 256GB version due to faster SSD and more storage. The OS doesn't take up much space, so for me the storage isn't too bad considering I have most of my large files on network storage. I didn't realize that the 128GB version had a slower SSD until after I purchased.

Upgrades are nonexistent. Ram is hard-soldered. SSD form factor is proprietary (not interface, just pinout). That being said, this thing will run HD video perfectly and I don't see a need to upgrade until a few years down the road. Apps/Programs start almost immediately. The laptop wakes from sleep quicker than you can open the screen. The battery life is compromised in sleep mode, however - It will go from 100% to 30% in about 6 days of no use in sleep mode. The network card is amazing and is faster than any other wireless device on my network.

If you are a current Windows user, don't be put off by OSX and this machine. It really is inexpensive for what it has to offer and the OS is very easy to use. I was amazed the first time I downloaded a zip file and it was already extracted. I got a virus on it once. I made a dumb mistake and tried to use some software that was somewhat subject. 10 mins later, I was able to get rid of it and never saw an issue since. You don't need costly or ad-prone antivirus software. It is difficult to find any laptop with this resolution, let alone battery life, in this price point, Windows or OSX based.

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I've had this laptop for about six months now and I love it. The operating system is concise and easy to use. Only thing that was frustrating was the Mac attempt at Microsoft Office. The features just weren't what I needed so I had to buy Microsoft Office. Other than that, I LOVE this laptop.

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I've own Macbook Pros since 2010 when I bought the 13in Core 2 Duo. I recently sold my Macbook Pro mid 2012 to purchase this one and I'm impressed.The screen is amazingly sharp and the weight is about 1 pound less from it's predecessor. You can really feel the weight difference. Also the fan is significantly less loud in challenging tasks. So far, very satisfied.